4 Nov 2015

Over the last two years, Liverpool have been regularly linked with a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and new reports suggest that Jurgen Klopp has identified the German 'stopper as priority transfer target.

ter Stegen - recently hailed as 'extraordinary' by former Bayern boss Jupp Heynkes - continues to play second-fiddle to Claudio Bravo, and looking at his stats for Barca, it's easy to see why:

* 17 goals conceded in 9 games (1.8 per game | 1 every 49 mins).

* 1 clean sheet (11% of games)

* Barca total: 33 goals conceded in 30 games (1.1 per game)

* 11 clean sheets (33% of games).

Ter Stegen appears to be in the midst of a slump right now (possibly confidence-related as a result of being stuck on the bench), but overall, his stats for Barcelona are creditable, and are more in line with his excellent stats for Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Liverpool could certainly do with some good old German efficiency in the team, but it seems unlikely that Barcelona will let one of the world's best young goalkeepers leave after only eighteen months at the club.

ter Stegen also has a prohibitive £56m buyout clause, which seemingly rules out a move, but according to the Daily Express:

£56m for a young goalkeeper? You're having a laugh. There are plenty of other excellent options out there for significantly less than that extortionate fee, and I sincerely doubt FSG will sanction that kind of money.

That aside, if the story is true, then it's pleasing that it's only taken Klopp five games to see that Mignolet needs to be replaced. Rodgers had several chances to bring in a more commanding 'keeper, but he repeatedly failed to act.

Mignolet is doing okay at the moment, but he is not the long-term solution, and the sooner he's replaced, the better (IMO).